Summer Fruit Pavlova

It is summer…

Time for open-air rock concerts, martini-cocktails on sunny terraces, late night walks with dear friends, deep blue sea-side holidays, sunglasses and ten, dresses and high heals, reading books on the edge of the swimming pool, smelling the fragrant scent of flowers, biting into fresh orange apricots, enjoying the fullness of colors and the sunlight. It is time for summer fruit and summer cakes…

It is time for Pavlova.

A slice of Pavlova cake has been my sinful delight since a couple of months now. Not very often, but occasionally I would try one during my lunch break at work, I would take a bite and all my troubles would disappear. So light and fragile, mellow and creamy, chocolate chip crunchy… the perfect desert. I have fallen in love from a first sight and only naturally I have been thinking of trying to make one at home. This is the end result, based on the BBC Goodfood recipe, a full expression of summer day happiness and my never dying love for summer fruits.

Ingredients

4 egg whites

300g cream

1 package vanilla

zest of 1 lemon

350g suger

300g summer fruits

Fresh mint leaves

1 tsp. cornflour

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Cover a baking sheet with baking parchment. Whisk the egg whites with electric beaters until they just form stiff and shiny peaks. Gradually add 250g sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time and whisk really well between each addition. When all of the sugar is used up continue whisking for 3-4 minutes or until the meringue is stiff and glossy and stands up in peaks, then whisk in the cornflour and vinegar. Spoon the mixture onto the baking parchment and use a palette knife to make a circle about 20cm in diameter. Put in the oven, turn the temperature down to 120C and cook for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside until completely cold (you can make this the day before and leave to cool overnight).

2. Carefully peel off the baking parchment and put the pavlova on a serving dish. Don’t worry if it cracks. Add the cream, vanilla, 100g sugar and lemon zest and softly whip, then spoon onto the pavlova. Mix the berries, spoon the fruit on top of the cream, arrange with fresh mint leaves and serve.